Rosemarie ‘RoRo’ L. Ranalli Ferranto was the example of the American Dream. Her parents, Giacomo “Jack” Ranalli and Natalina Canzano Ranalli, were Italian immigrants who came to America to build a future for their family. They were mushroom farmers and business owners and they passed on their legacy to RoRo. Years later, RoRo passed on that legacy and work ethic to her family, including her daughter Gale Ferranto, our ALS United Mid-Atlantic Volunteer of the Month for July 2025.
Gale’s story starts with her mom. RoRo founded Buona Foods in 1972. They have supplied grocery stores and restaurants with fresh mushrooms for over 50 years. If you live in the Philadelphia area, there is a good chance that you have bought or eaten mushrooms from Buona Foods.
RoRo was incredibly proud to know that she was feeding not just her family, but families across the region. When people sat down at the dinner table, they were enjoying food that she and her family helped produce.
RoRo and her husband Robert “Bear” Ferranto had three children, Peter, Robert, and Gale, who all joined Buona Foods and helped in its success.
Kennett Square, PA, is considered the Mushroom Capital of the world. To celebrate this claim to fame, Kennett Square has held an annual Mushroom Festival since 1986 and Buona Foods and the Ferranto family have been involved in this family-friendly event for many years. Ro Ro was one of the founders of this great event.
For RoRo, family always came first. And for the Ferranto children, RoRo always came first. In 2015, RoRo was diagnosed with ALS. Her symptoms started with uncontrolled yawning and led to visits to neurologists. Gale and the rest of the family immediately got to work to do everything they could to support their mother. They connected with the team at ALS United Mid-Atlantic to make sure that their mom could utilize every resource she needed, including nurse Gail Houseman and social worker Anne Cooney. RoRo attended many events, including with the Philadelphia Phillies, and RoRo became quick friends with the Phillie Phanatic.
The Ferrantos faced ALS the same way that they faced every aspect of business and life, by thinking about how to help others. Months after RoRo’s diagnosis, the Ferranto family established a Named Fund in her honor with ALS United Mid-Atlantic. This fund benefits care services. Just as RoRo always wanted to make sure that people had the food they needed, this fund helps to make sure that people with ALS get the care they need.
In 2016, RoRo’s battle with ALS came to an end when she peacefully passed away. While small in stature, RoRo was a giant to all who knew her, using her name and abilities to make the community and world better than how she found it. Now her family picked up the baton to continue that legacy.
Gale Ferranto serves as Festival Coordinator for the annual Mushroom Festival in Kennet Square. This event recognizes the “Mushroom Mecca” of Pennsylvania while raising money for worthy local causes. One of the causes that the event supports is the mission of ALS United Mid-Atlantic. Each year, Gale sees the legacy of her mom as the event supports the ALS cause.
Just like in video games, Gale sees the mushroom as a “power up” to do bigger and better things to help others. She held a mushroom eating contest to raise money for the RoRo Ferranto Named Fund. She also recognizes ALS United Mid-Atlantic at the annual grantee dinner and thanks local ALS United volunteers.
One of the happiest memories for the Ferranto family from RoRo’s battle with ALS was the time they spent with the Philadelphia Phillies. Gale keeps that memory alive by participating in Lou Gehrig Day each year, and she always smiles thinking about how her mother would love to be at the game. RoRo and her husband Bear were Phillies season ticket holders, and they always enjoyed cheering on the team.
Today, our team at ALS United Mid-Atlantic has the opportunity to cheer on Gale, RoRo, and the entire Ferranto family. Gale has taken on multiple legacies from her mom, from expanding her mushroom kingdom to helping others impacted by ALS. Family always came first for RoRo, and she never let her children forget how her family worked to build a life in America. Now they can pay it forward by improving the lives of families impacted by ALS.
Thank you, Gale, for making ALS United Mid-Atlantic part of your family.